Punk may have only had two spells with the WWE Championship, but he is the longest-reigning superstar in modern history, his second run lasting an astonishing 434 days. Despite this, his first victory will be the more fondly remembered, however much the WWE try to brush over his success following an acrimonious departure in 2014. The 2011 "Summer of Punk" saw the Straight Edge Superstar spring from a relatively uninspiring upper-midcard role to the most fanatically-supported man in the company - almost entirely on the back of his own dazzling promo skills. His defeat of John Cena at Money In The Bank 2011 threatened to spark an entirely new era for the WWE, one in which smaller stars of an indie-background would be regarded as more important than the musclebound superman favoured by Vince McMahon. Unfortunately the "Summer of Punk" angle was cut short by the baffling interference of Kevin Nash, Triple H and Alberto Del Rio into proceedings. He regained the title in November 2011, and wouldn't relinquish it until the 2013 Royal Rumble, enjoying many fantastic battles with Cena, Chris Jericho and Daniel Bryan along the way. He proved equally capable as a face or heel champion, demonstrating the importance of charisma alongside stellar wrestling ability. The effects of CM Punk's time at the top of the wrestling world are still very much felt today. It's unlikely that fellow ROH alumni Daniel Bryan and Seth Rollins would have been entrusted with the belt were it not for his earlier reigns, nor would fans have the ability to influence the company's booking in such a way. For all these reasons, it's impossible to see anybody but CM Punk as the most important champion of the decade so far.
